Julius rohland



(No Model.)

J. ROHLAND. PIANO.

Patnted Dec. 31, 1895.

A TTORN EY.

lhvi'rnn Srarns ATENI Fries,

JULIUS ROI-ILAND, OF MILIVAUKEE, IVISCONSIN.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,262, dated De embe 31, 1895.

Application filed September 3, 1895. Serial No. 561,365. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ULIUS ROI-ILAND, a citizen of the United States, an d a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \l iseonsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pianos; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its obj eet to provide an upright piano with an apparatus that may be utilized at will to convert the tone of the instrument into that resembling a harp or zither without endangering the hammers or the apparatus itself; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying drawing and subse quently claimed.

The drawing represents aperspective view of my improvements as applied to an upright piano.

Referring by letter to the drawing, A rep- Sents vertically-slotted blocks attachable to end pieces 1-3 of an upright piano, these blocks having the double function of guides and supports for vertically-reciprocative brackets O, to which the ends of a bar D are joined. It is preferable to provide each bracket with a horizontal slot 1) for the engagement of a belt or screw-pin 0 run through the adjacent end of the bar D, as thereby I am enabled to utilize bars of standard length in pianos of various widths.

Glued or otherwise secured to the bar D is a depending buffer E of felt or other suitable material, and fast 011 said bar against the buffer are the upper ends of a series of depending spring-metal tongues F that extend some distance below said buffer. The tongues may be separate pieces, as herein shown, or they may form parts of one or more comblike strips, as found most convenient or desirable in practice.

Rigidly secured to the bar D by any suit able means is acurved shell E, the latterbeing parallel to said bar and extended over the upper edge of the same. The lower edge of the shell is turned ata right angle to form a flange f, to which another buffer II of felt or analogous material is glued or otherwise secured, this latter buffer being in front of the springmetal tongues F, above-specified.

Lifting-rods I are connected to the lower ends of the brackets O and operated by such lever mechanism as may be found convenient. By operating the lever mechanism (not shown) the rods I are lifted to cause an elevation of the brackets C, bar D and parts attached to the latter; but all of the parts being in the position herein illustrated the spring-metal tongues F are intermediate of the hammers M and tone-wires N of the piano. The hammers striking the metal tongues against the tone-wires produce sound similar to that given by a harp or zither, and the buffers E H prevent detrimental vibration of said tongues after the action of said hammers. hen the harp or zither tone is not desirable the lifting-rods I are actuated to bring the springmetal tongues F out of the way of the ha1nmers M, and it will be understood that shift of said tongues in either direction may be made at any time by the person playing upon the piano.

B y the employment of spring-metal tongues I can attain the desired result of tone conversion under all the varying conditions to which a piano is subjected, and the mechanism herein particularly set forth does not interfere with the forte or pianissimo actions of the instrument.

The construction and arrangcm ent of parts thus far described are the same as have been set up in my previous application for patent filed April 22, 1895, Serial No. 546,629, and in addition thereto I herein show improvements having for their purpose the prevention of injury to the spring-metal tongues F of the toneconverter or the hammers M of the piano when said tone-converter is shifted in or out of working position.

In the first place the lower end of each spring-metal tongueF is curled so as to be blunt and yielding in case it should come in contact with a hammer M of the piano, while at the same time I provide at least one of the brackets C with a lateral cam P of suitable contour, the same being arranged to operate a crank-arm Q, fast on a rock-shaft R, herein shown free to turn in bearings g constituting parts of brackets S that are clamped in place by the nuts T on the horizontal pins U found in pianos of the kind to which my invention relates, but I do not confine myself to any particular form or location of supports for the rock-shaft. In order to have the easiest possible action, the eam-opposin g end of the rockshaft crank-arm Q may be provided with an antifriction-roller V, as herein shown.

Depending from the rock-shaft is a bail W, preferably covered with rubber or other suitable material h, and when the crank-arm Q is swung out to actuate the rock-shaft B said bail is caused to exert pressure against the spring-metal tongues F, whereby the latter are held in out of the way of the hammers M, while a shift of the tone-converter takes place.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the action of the bail V is entirely automatic and that it in no way interferes with the tone-con- Verter tongues, except when the same are being brought in or out of position between the wires and hammers of the piano. By'having the rubber or other suitable covering h on the bail \V the contact of the latter with the toneconverter tongues F is rendered noiseless.

llavin g now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A structure adapted for vertical adjustment in an upright piano and comprising a series of spring-metal tongues that come between the hammers and tone-wires of the instrument when said structure is at one position of its adjustment, in combination with a deflector -mechanism having automatic action against said tongues when the aforesaid structure is shifted from one position to another.

2. A structure adapted for vertical adjustment in an upright piano and comprising a series of curled and spring-metal tongues that come between the hammers and tone-wires of the instrument when said structure is at one position of its adjustment, in combination with a deflector-mechanism having automatic action against said tongues when the aforesaid structure is shifted from one position to another.

3. A structure adapted for vertical adjustment in an upright piano and comprising a lateral cam of suitable contour, as well as a series of spring-metal tongues that come intermediate of the hammers and tone-wires of the inst ument when said structure is at one position of its adjustment; in combination with a rock-shaft having a bail depending 'here'from in opposition to said tongues, and a crank-arm fast on the rock-shaft in position to be actuated by said cam.

at. A structure adapted for vertical adjust ment in an upright piano and comprising a lateral cam of suitable contour, as well as a series of spring-metal tongues that come intermediate of the hammers and tone-wires of the instrument when said structure is at one position of its adjustment; in combination with a rock-shaft having a muffled bail depending therefrom in opposition to said tongues, and a crank-arm fast on the rockshai't in position to be actuated by said cam.

5. A structure adapted for vertical ad justment in an upright piano and comprising a lateral cam of suitable contour, a series of spring-metal tongues that come between the hammers and tone-wires of the instrument when said structure is in one position of its adjustment; a buffer of felt or analogous material carried with the tongues in rear thereof, and a similar buffer in front of the same; together with a deflector-mechanism consisting of a rock-shaft having a depending bailin opposition to said tongues, and a crank-arm fast on the rock-shaft in position to be actuated by said cam.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \r'iscow sin, in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS ROl'lLAND. \Vitnesses N. E. OLIPHANT, GEO. W. YOUNG. 

